deceased 1 of 3

deceased

2 of 3

verb

past tense of decease

deceased

3 of 3

noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective deceased contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of deceased are dead, defunct, departed, and late. While all these words mean "devoid of life," deceased, departed, and late apply to persons who have died recently. deceased is the preferred term in legal use.

the estate of the deceased

Where would dead be a reasonable alternative to deceased?

While in some cases nearly identical to deceased, dead applies literally to what is deprived of vital force but is used figuratively of anything that has lost any attribute (such as energy, activity, radiance) suggesting life.

a dead, listless performance

When is defunct a more appropriate choice than deceased?

The meanings of defunct and deceased largely overlap; however, defunct stresses cessation of active existence or operation.

a defunct television series

When could departed be used to replace deceased?

The words departed and deceased can be used in similar contexts, but departed is used usually as a euphemism.

our departed sister

When is it sensible to use late instead of deceased?

Although the words late and deceased have much in common, late is used especially with reference to a person in a specific relation or status.

the company's late president

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deceased
Adjective
GEDMatch is one of the databases used by the DNA Doe project, a non-profit that works to name the deceased who remain unidentified. Crimesider Staff, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2018
Verb
The proposal, which mirrored one Netanyahu had accepted only a month earlier, called for a 60-day ceasefire in exchange for 10 living hostages and 18 deceased hostages. Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025 Although the sheriff's department did not release any names, Columbia County News reported that one of the girls was Winter Green, the older sister of the four deceased children. Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
Authorities found Beverly unresponsive inside the bedroom, and the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service pronounced the victim deceased shortly thereafter. Rachel Raposas, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025 More than a dozen graves have been discovered, with the deceased buried in a fetal position with their arms crossed on their chests, experts said in the release. Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deceased
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceased
Adjective
  • This would not be the first NFL opening weekend to stare fans dead in the eye and lie to them.
    Mike Sando, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • For instance, Captain John Boats out of Plymouth during a whale watch last August came across a dead basking shark that was being scavenged by five to six blue sharks.
    Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Osbourne, who died July 22 at 76 after a heart attack, famously bit the head off a bat during a solo performance.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Julie Henneberry, a Bay View woman whose firefighter father died on 9/11, is sharing her story publicly for the first time.
    Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The teenager is related to the decedent, according to the release.
    Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
  • The latest lawsuit also raised questions about the funeral home’s management — claiming that same crematory manager had been promoted after previously allowing someone to sign off on a cremation without legal authorization from that decedent’s next of kin.
    Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Wolf spiders prefer dark hiding places like piles of leaves or fallen logs.
    Carrie Madormo, Health, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Whether a storm, fallen tree, or power grid problem is to blame, having to toss food as a result is a pain for some and a significant financial burden for others.
    Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • While the original pieces perished in a fire at Rohwer after the war, the replicas remain to give evidence of this student project that developed under her supervision.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Sadly, none of her citrus survived, and many of her cattle perished.
    Mandi Wright, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • She is charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and concealing the birth of an infant, the Lexington Police Department said in a news release.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The scene in which Mary Ellen walks through a maze of corpses only to find one of herself?
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • French pharmaceutical group Sanofi dropped 10%, with JPMorgan analysts calling results from its latest dermatitis drug study weaker than expected.
    Jenni Reid,Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Ozzy Osbourne's youngest son is hitting back after Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters criticized his late father.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • When a mother tree is felled, the survival rate of many of its seedlings may be drastically reduced, a process not unlike the reciprocal feedback loop of Yggdrasill, whose deterioration in response to discord in the nine realms spells cosmic collapse.
    Ellen Walker, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025
  • There are also beautifully observed moments toward the end with Dorotea and Riccardo; and a moving reckoning with death when Mariano’s favorite horse, a stallion named Elvis, is felled by illness and the president refuses to end his suffering by having the animal put to sleep.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Deceased.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceased. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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